Koalas Call for Connection: Why Private Land Holds the Key to Their Survival

Brahminy Kite

07-10-2025

First come the ideas, then comes an action plan. Never mind the planning required, he excels at this—if a plan is incomplete or not assuring enough, he would correct it. Perfection naturally calls for dedication and diligence. No matter how many times it takes him to correct his plans, he does not mind, for he is immersed in these mathematical calculations.

In “The Perfect Plan”; Wild Wise Weird [1]

© Wix

Australia’s beloved koalas are often seen as symbols of tranquility, yet their quiet suffering in fragmented landscapes tells a different story [2]. A recent study by Harwood and Whisson [3] published in Landscape Ecology uses innovative acoustic monitoring to reveal how koala distribution in South Gippsland, Victoria, depends not only on forest protection but also on cooperation across private land.

Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) at 232 sites, the researchers detected male koala vocalisations (or “bellows”) at nearly half the surveyed locations—an encouraging sign of persistence in a region heavily modified by agriculture and plantation forestry. Statistical models showed that koalas are most likely to occupy areas with abundant preferred food trees and strong surrounding tree cover within 500 meters. However, their presence declined in areas with high soil organic carbon—an indicator of lands cleared or converted for farming.

The team found that only about 11% of high-quality koala habitat lies on private land, compared with 50% in protected forests and 33% within plantation estates. This imbalance underscores the limits of relying solely on public conservation. With two-thirds of the South Gippsland region privately owned, the future of the genetically unique Strzelecki koala depends on restoring habitat beyond national parks [4,5].

From an ecological perspective, this study highlights a broader truth: environmental harmony requires social cooperation [6]. Encouraging reforestation on private farms—through tree planting, sustainable agriculture certifications, and stewardship incentives—could reconnect fragmented ecosystems while strengthening community bonds [7,8]. This reflects a form of Nature Quotient (NQ)—the ability to perceive interdependence between human well-being and ecological balance [9].

By nurturing koala habitats, landowners are also nurturing peace between humans and the natural systems that sustain them. A landscape alive with bellows is not just a home for wildlife; it is a living reminder that inner and social peace flourish when humanity coexists with the rhythms of nature [10].

References

[1] Vuong QH. (2024). Wild Wise Weird. https://books.google.com/books?id=N10jEQAAQBAJ

[2] Melzer A, et al. (2000) Overview, critical assessment, and conservation implications of koala distribution and abundance. Conservation Biology, 14, 619-628. https://doi.org/10.1046%2Fj.1523-1739.2000.99383.x

[3] Harwood SE, Whisson DA. (2025). Bellowing for habitat on private land: distribution of koalas in a complex landscape. Landscape Ecology, 40, 190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-025-02183-0

[4] Wedrowicz F, et al. (2017) Landscape, koalas and people: a historical account of koala populations and their environment in South Gippsland. Australian Zoologist, 38 (4) 518-536. https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2017.007

[5] McAlpine CA, et al. (2015) Conserving koalas: a review of the contrasting regional trends, outlooks and policy challenges. Biological Conservation, 192, 226–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.020

[6] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability, 23(11267), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/11267

[7] Allen KE, et al. (2018). Relational values in agroecosystem governance. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 35, 108-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2018.10.026

[8] Chapman M, Satterfield T, Chan KMA. (2019). When value conflicts are barriers: can relational values help explain farmer participation in conservation incentive programs? Land Use Policy, 82, 464-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.11.017

[9] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[10] Nguyen MH, Ho MT, La VP. (2025). On “An” (安): Inner peace through uncertainty, nature quotient, and harmony with Dao. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=NIKMEQAAQBAJ